"Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and your stranger that is within your gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear YHWH your Elohim, and observe to do all the words of this law."

Our Golden Calf – Ki Tisa Parashat 2012-13

Ki Tisa (Ex 30:11-34:35 Haftarah 1Kings 18:1-39) is the 9th parashat in the book of Shemot also called Exodus, and is called Ki Tisa which means ‘When You Take’. In this week’s parashat:

– When you number Yisra’el all men shall give a half shekel for the service of the tabernacle
– You shall make a laver of copper for the priests to wash when entering the tabernacle or approaching the altar
– Command to make the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle, furniture, and priests
– Command to make the incense for the altar of incense and not to copy it for other uses
– YHWH put His spirit on Betzal’el and Oholiav to make all the furnishings of the tabernacle
– YHWH tells Moshe to tell the children of Yisra’el the sabbaths are a sign between Him and them
– YHWH gives Moshe the two tables of stone with the ten commandments on them
– With Moshe not back yet, the people asked Aharon to make them elohim and he made them a golden calf
– When Aharon saw the golden calf he built an altar before it and the people offered sacrifices to it
– YHWH told Moshe the people had made a golden calf and He wanted to destroy them
– Moshe prayed YHWH would not destroy His people
– Moshe came down and when he saw the golden calf and the people he broke the tables of stone
– Moshe burnt the golden calf to dust and mixed it with the water and made the people drink it
– Moshe asked Aharon why he brought such evil upon the people
– Moshe commanded the Levi’im to slay the people who were not on YHWH’s side
– Moshe returned to YHWH and offered himself for the sins of the people
– YHWH told Moshe to tell the people YHWH will not go among them and to take off their ornaments
– The tabernacle was outside the camp and the people stood by their doors and watched as Moshe went in
– Moshe asks to see the way of YHWH
– Moshe says if His presence is not with them they will not move
– YHWH tells Moshe He will show him His glory and proclaim His name
– YHWH tells Moshe He will hide him in the cleft of a rock when He passes by
– Moshe commanded to hew two tables of stone like the first and meet YHWH alone in the mount
– YHWH commands the children to drive out the people of the land and destroy their altars or they will be snared
– You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread in the month Aviv
– You shall redeem the firstborn males of men and beast
– Remember to rest on the seventh day
– Three times a year shall all males appear before YHWH
– You shall not offer the blood of His sacrifice with leaven not leave any of the passover until morning
– You shall bring the firstfruits to YHWH and not boil a kid in its mother’s milk
– Moshe spends forty days and nights without food or water with YHWH to receive the ten commandments
– When Moshe came down from the mount his face shone but he didn’t know it
– The people were afraid to talk to Moshe but he called them to him
– Moshe wore a veil when he spoke to the people but removed it when talking with YHWH